Assam: ABSU Appeals Govt to Upgrade Health Centres Across State to Combat COVID-19

Kokrajhar, March 27, 2020:

As Assam prepares to combat novel coronavirus or COVID-19, the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) has drawn the attention of the State Government to upgrade the health facilities in the semi-urban areas of the State.

ABSU, in its memorandum to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, has appealed the Government to upgrade the model and civil Hospitals in all the districts of Assam with well-equipped Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward and advance Labs for coronavirus testing.

ABSU has urged the State Government to establish quarantine centres in all the districts of Assam following the rising number of positive cases nationwide as well as worldwide.

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Expressing gratitude to the authorities for their efforts to plan and prepare for the outbreak. ABSU has urged to also upgrade the Fakuruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College & Hospital and the medical colleges in Barpeta and Tezpur.

Keeping in view that the Assma Government is in talks with the L&T to construct dedicated coronavirus Hospitals in the State, the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) has requested for the same in  Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri, including Sonitpur, Biswanath Chariali and the rest of the districts of Assam.

"Special initiative to support the people of Assam sheltering in different states, cities, railway stations etc. due to lockdown," stated ABSU in its memorandum.

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"India is also facing tough time in the wake of the pandemic with the increasing number of Coronavirus infections and death toll day by day. It is a major initiative taken by the government of India to safe fight against corona epidemic with the rest of the world.

The Union extends all possible support to overcome in this Nationwide Emergency like situation," wrote ABSU.

It may be mentioned here that the Assam Health department has been planning and preparing to tackle COVID-19 in case of an outbreak in the State. It has also proposed to set up five new prefabricated Hospitals, which will function till five years, for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Dr Sarma informed that the State Government will issue a tender for the proposed prefabricated Hospitals. "These will not last for more than 5 years, so tentatively, we have fixed Dibrugarh and Guwahati and the rest, we are in the process of finalizing. Our plan is to build 5 such Hospitals with 300-bedded capacity each.

The Assam Health department has also decided to turn the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) into a dedicated facility for COVID-19 patients.

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